Night Tests should be seriously considered - Jayawardene
Mahela Jayawardene answers readers' questions about the upcoming World Twenty20, the importance of rotating the strike,and more
26-May-2009
Mahela Jayawardene: "My preference is to bat as high as possible in the order in T20 cricket" • Associated Press
From: S.Y
Mahela, I want to know if the ghosts of the Pakistan tour are somewhat healed for the Sri Lankan players, especially those who played in the IPL. Is that all like a bad dream now?
Yes, we've put the Lahore attacks in the past. The players all dealt with it in their different ways and it helped to get back to normality by playing in the Indian Premier League these past weeks.
From: Guru
You are a good finisher when you are a set batsman. Do you feel you should bat at one down and spend enough time at the crease so that you are set, particularly when your team is chasing? Lasith Malinga is very good at delivering the yorkers, so how about him bowling his four overs towards the game's second half (14,16,18,20) when everybody is trying to score at a faster rate? I think he can be very helpful at the death overs.
Hello Guru. My preference is to bat as high as possible in the order in T20 cricket. The more time you have the easier it is to score runs. However, whether I should bat at No. 3 or No. 5 depends on the team balance and requirements. As a cricketer you have to play for the team and if the coach likes having me coming in a little later then that is fine. Regarding Lasith, it's great to have him back. We are all thrilled to see him bowling so well. I think he can bowl at different stages and not just at the end of the innings. He has the ability to take wickets with the new ball as well.
From: Suresh Balaji
With the T20 trend on a high, is it necessary for the Test format to revive itself to (under the lights) to keep it (not alive) but amongst the audience? Obviously Test cricket is what the soul of the game is.
The idea of floodlight Test cricket is being discussed by the ICC right now. I think it is worth serious consideration if we are sure that this will be attractive for spectators. However, there are problems to overcome like manufacturing a white ball that can last 80 overs and also ensuring that there is not too significant a change in conditions between night and day.
From: Chirayu R. Mankad
Hi Mahela, Hope you have come out of the tragic memories of the Pakistan incident. I would like to ask you regarding the chances of Sri Lanka winning the T20 World Cup and the role which you see for yourself and other senior players.
In T20 cricket anything can happen. I feel we have a strong, well-balanced team and I am confident we can do really well in Sanga's tournament in-charge. First priority is getting into the second round and that will not be straightforward against both Australia and West Indies. The senior guys need to guide the youngsters and make sure we make an impact at critical high-pressure moments.
From: Ayush Kumar
Mahela, First of all, I'm a big fan of your elegant batting, and I think right now you're one of the batsmen most pleasing to the eye, as well as brilliant in the record books. You have been scoring a lot of runs lately, at home as well as abroad. This is after an initial period of 'underperforming'. My question to you is, what are you doing differently these days? My other question is, what are you thinking when you go out into the middle?
To be honest, I am not doing much different. I felt in good nick during the IPL and I really enjoyed the tournament up until I was injured. The key thing in tournaments like that is getting a few runs and then growing in confidence. You build up momentum.
From: Tejas Srinivasan
To Mr. Jayawardene. I am a young cricketer from India, and with your ability to pick gaps, take quick singles, build an innings, and also smack the ball if required - what does it take to do that?
Hello Tejas. Practice is key, and then playing experience in the middle. Every player must first understand their strengths and weaknesses. With time you need to evolve your gameplan for scoring runs. This gameplan will change according to different conditions and opponents, but I learnt from an early age that rotating the strike and picking-up singles is crucial to a batsman's success.